Doha believes that the Hamas office in the country “no longer serves its purpose.”
Qatar will no longer work to mediate a ceasefire between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel, according to a new report.
Reuters reported on Saturday that Doha believes that the Hamas office in the country “no longer serves its purpose”, and that Israel and the Palestinian group have not demonstrated a “sincere willingness” to negotiate terms. The report described this decision as the “biggest setback” to efforts to get a deal done since the ongoing war started over a year ago.
This comes as Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has emerged as a key player in recent efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict, but diplomatic efforts have so far been unsuccessful. In the most recent talks, held in mid-October, a proposal for a temporary halt to hostilities was ultimately rejected by Hamas.
An official who spoke to Reuters spoke on Qatar’s stance on mediation, stating, “The Qataris have said since the start of the conflict that they can only mediate when both parties demonstrate a genuine interest in finding a resolution”, adding that Qatar had notified Hamas, Israel and the U.
